The best albums of 2007

By Time Out editors Thu Dec 27 2007

PRESENT, IN ACTION Global star M.I.A. had a pretty good year.

Photograph: Mike Schreiber

Chosen by: Jay Ruttenberg, music writer

1. Amy WinehouseBack to Black (Universal). The troubled hag is not the nostalgist she may at first appear to be, but the rare performer to haul soul music into the present tense. Now, her biggest challenge: not dying.

2. M.I.A. Kala (Interscope). The world finally gets the futuristic global pop star it deserves. Still no flying cars or robot maids, though. Full review

4. Various artists Imagine the Shapes (What’s Your Rupture?). A Manhattan label transfers vinyl EPs by four of its artists—Love Is All, Cause Co-Motion, the Long Blondes and Comet Gain—onto a CD that reels with the revelatory energy of early Rough Trade. Full review

Chosen by: Hank Shteamer, music writer

2. Muhal Richard Abrams Vision Towards Essence (Pi). Local imprint Pi cements its position as one of the premier 21st-century jazz labels with a sumptuous solo recital from an avant-garde master. Full review

4. Thurston Moore Trees Outside the Academy (Ecstatic Peace). Sonic Youth’s frontman spends a lot of time these days playing in the noise sandbox, but here he turns to poignantly moody rock songs shaded with elegant strings. Full review

5. Deerhoof Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars). The fifth brilliant full-length in six years from this Bay Area art-pop trio proves that there are few more visionary outfits in contemporary rock. Full review

7. Rob Crow Living Well (Temporary Residence). Crazy busy lately with Pinback and a slew of side projects, San Diego songsmith Rob Crow still found time for a solo disc—the best showcase yet for his humbly exquisite guitar pop.

8. Levon Helm Dirt Farmer (Vanguard). Dirt Farmer marks the resurrection of the Band stickman’s trademark twang after a battle with throat cancer, but the disc’s deepest pleasure is savoring Helm’s bottomless drum-set groove. Full review

9. Tyshawn Sorey that/not (Firehouse 12). Jazz debuts don’t come any more ambitious than this hauntingly enigmatic double-disc set from local drummer-pianist Sorey. Full review

10. Ween La Cucaracha (Rounder). These Pennsylvania cult-pop veterans demonstrate once more that the only way to stay funny is to keep a perfectly straight face.

7. Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles Diamonds in the Dark (Sugar Hill). Boston singer-guitarist Borges draws a straight line from Wanda Jackson to X in this memorable set of rowdy rockers and weepy ballads. Full review

8. Exploding Star Orchestra We Are All from Somewhere Else (Thrill Jockey). Globe-trotting cornetist Rob Mazurek and his big big band hit escape velocity in a fiery set that bites Sun Ra, Steve Reich, Kraftwerk and funk.

4. Lil Wayne Da Drought 3 (Young Money). If this simile-laden extracurricular mixtape is any indication, other rappers might have to hide under their desks when school gets back in session with Weezy’s upcoming Tha Carter III.

5. Menomena Friend and Foe (Barsuk). A lot of fuss is made about Menomena’s use of the Deeler computer program in its recording process, but what matters is that the Portland, Oregon, natives write songs that can be both catchy and wandering at the same time. Full review

7. Of Montreal Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Polyvinyl). The fact that Kevin Barnes made this sprawling pop epic—instruments, computers, songwriting and production—almost entirely by himself is nothing short of astounding.

8. Battles Mirrored (Warp). Call this cacophony of vocal variations, keyboard experimentation and explosive drumming math rock if you must. Just don’t underestimate Battles’ ability to string it all together.

9. Kanye West Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Island Def Jam). Perhaps West is kind of a jerk, and maybe his rhyming skills fall short of ill. But his ability to basically do it all puts him at the forefront of the hip-hop game. Full review

10. Les Savy Fav Let’s Stay Friends (Frenchkiss). Longtime live favorites on the local scene, Tim Harrington & Co. show their studio prowess on their fourth full-length. Full review

NEXT: K. Leander Williams' picks

Chosen by: K. Leander Williams, music writer

1. M.I.A. Kala (Interscope). No hip-hop masterpiece has ever sounded this raucously globalist and fun. It’s as if the London phenom is spinning the world on her finger. Full review

2. Gogol Bordello Super Taranta! (Side One Dummy). The Gypsy-punk band’s dubby splatter says hedonism, but its words are as serious as your life.

3. Tabu Ley Rochereau The Voice of Lightness (Stern’s). The Congolese-rumba pioneer finally gets a career summation worthy of his stature. Full review

4. Amy Winehouse Back to Black (Universal). When the tabloids find another troubled child to latch onto, what we’ll be left with is this raft of splendid R&B songs.

6. Panda Bear Person Pitch (Paw Tracks). Layer after layer of melodic sounds form a tower to heaven. Full review

7. Kanye West Graduation (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam). Has any pop artist ever been so human and honest about the conflicts inherent in success? Full review

8. Oakley Hall I Will Follow You (Merge). Every record by this rootsy folk-rock group tops the last one, and this rough-cut gem is no exception.

9. Pink Reason Cleaning the Mirror (Siltbreeze). See No. 4 above—then imagine the same last man, paranoid and writing pained psych-pop songs for a wrecked planet. Full review

10. Cass McCombs Dropping the Writ (Domino). A mystery without a history, singer-songwriter McCombs releases his third great album, alluding to everything and revealing nothing. Full review

NEXT: Report card

Report card:Every year grumpy fans howl that music is dead, or on life support, or at least bleeding and confused. But it’s just not so, ever—as the above lists should attest. The music industry, of course, is another matter: As the labels continue the cycle of mergers and layoffs, high-profile artists like Radiohead and Madonna make headlines with forward-thinking deals. At the same time, the live-music scene in NYC has its own problems. Until either the city lets up on its campaign against arts spaces of all sorts or club owners simply become more daring, local musicians will have to keep scrounging (i.e., heading to Brooklyn) for good places to play.